LETTER: Juneau’s history is worth maintaining

Published 1:30 am Saturday, June 27, 2026

After unanimous opposition at Assembly meetings, in editorials and emails, the Juneau Assembly voted to disappear the top two positions at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, 5-4.

I asked an assembly member in the narrow majority why they voted yes. Their answer? If they didn’t approve the cut, residents wouldn’t take the precariousness of the budget situation seriously. Really? $200,000 is a mere cough drop in the CBJ budget bucket. If anything, these positions should have been maintained for them to make their own hard decisions.

The history of Alaska’s capital city is apparently not worth maintaining.

Our community is in this pickle because of the miscalculations of the City and Borough of Juneau. And its mishandling of everything from historic Telephone Hill to beloved Eaglecrest. All amidst a backdrop of “we can’t have nice things” messaging from some residents. The Arts Council stuck in a mildew-infested old gym is but one example.

All the Assembly can do with this current budget shortfall is throw out a couple of hard-working, devoted CBJ employees. The money saved is roughly equal to the amount Alaska Airlines contributes to the Juneau Symphony every year.

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is a big draw for many of the cruisers who ply downtown five months of the year. Asking the burgeoning cruise ship industry to pony up to help preserve our history should be a no brainer. A drop from their bucket could keep the museum afloat.

Katie Bausler